Annonymous questions about astrology that we can help each other about :D

Annonymous questions about astrology that we can help each other about

I hope this thread can be a thread to put in all miscellaneous astology questions and help each other out, along with teaching others things we have learned that may be unknown for the most part.

I'll start In aspects, does a square (90o) have the same meanings as (270o)?

And what does it mean by 'significator'?

Others are free to add, I hope no one minds this....

270 degrees is the same as 90, so yes, similar interpretation (for those wondering, 90 * 3 = 270 so two planet 270 degrees apart clockwise are 90 degrees apart counterclockwise.

As for significator, I'm not sure about that. Could you give a context for the term?

rainwolf said:

And what does it mean by 'significator'?

Click to expand...

Are you perhaps referring to horary astrology, where planets are chosen to represent the querent and other objects or people involved in the question?

Hmm I'll have to find the context...but ill look

90 versus 270 degrees

These two square aspects are quite different from each other! For those who are beginning their astrology studies you may consider them the same BUT FOR ALL OTHERS I would suggest that you keep in mind that they are indeed different! On this point I disagree with isthmus nekoi whom I suspect has answered this question in the context of a beginning student's question.

How so? Astrology is really the study of cycles. Cycles! Most beginner's books overlook or do not adequately address two basic truths -- 1) Astrology is more than a natal chart alone, and 2) the planets are always moving within cyclic relationships to each other.

Within the cyclic concept the opening square occurs when the faster moving planet of a pair reaches a point 90 degrees ahead of the slower moving planet. This is a time or point of "challenge." When the faster moving planet reaches a point 270 degrees ahead of the slower moving planet than this is a point or time of "demonstration." To fully grasp the differences we would have to go into cycles more deeply. This has been done on other threads which you or anyone can search for. Search for "cycles" and/or "aspects." When I interpret a chart I clearly make distinctions between opening and closing squares -- as with trines and multiples of semiquares, quintiles, etc. The added richness and specicifity of the interpretation can often be quite striking. Dave

Significators

Significators (a specific planet used as a focal point) may be used in specialized forms of astrological practice. One usage was noted by Flidais. You can also use a focal planet or significator to examine a natal chart or other chart to answer a specific question or examine a particular engery. For example, if one wanted to study one's use of agression you would focus on Mars and its aspects, sign, house position, rulerships and cyclic relationships.

Sometimes a querent asks a question that seems to represent the workings of a pair of planets. In this case you might examine just these planets in detail and only do a cursory view of the rest of the chart. This saves both time and work, and provides a focused answer that was asked for within a short period of time. A professional astrologer would take this approach, while a student would take the time to learn as much as possible about all/any portion of a chart. Dave.

Dave raises a good point. 270 is a square, but yes a different one. The easiest example I can think of is the difference b/w a waxing and waning moon (1st and 3rd quarter).

Yes I agree with Dave - however remember his rider about beginners!

From classical times Astrologers have differentiated between 'sinister' (Latin for 'left') and 'dexter' (Latin for 'right') aspects (trines as well as squares).

The Sinister square moves forward through the zodiac, so a square from Cancer to Libra is a sinister square. The dexter square would be backwards through the zodiac from Cancer to Aries.

Now if you remember that the diurnal movement of signs as seen from Earth is backwards through the zodiac you will realise that if Cancer is rising, Aries has already risen. A planet in Cancer is said to view any planet in Aries.

However when Cancer is rising, any planet in Libra cannot be viewed, it is behind the Cancer planet in terms of diurnal motion.

Classical Astrologers therefore concluded that dexter squares (and trines) were stronger than sinister ones. Think of the dexter square as someone in front of you shaking his fist at you. You would find this quite stressful. However if someone behind you shook their fist at you, you probably would not see it and would therefore feel less stressed. Of course that doesn't mean that no 'harm' can come from behind, merely that you don't perceive the threat as strongly.

This would add a nuance to any interpretation that a classical Astrologer would do. Thus a planet with a sinister trine but dexter square would find the influence of the square stronger than the influence of the trine (all other factors being equal).

On significators,

As Dave says a planet can be used as a signifcator of some aspect of a chart or some psychological dimension.

They can also be used to signify people, things, events, indeed virtually anything.

For example if a client asks a question about her husband in a horary, the ruler of the seventh house could be used to signify the husband. The condition and placement of the planet would give some signification of the strength and situation of the husband. In a similar fashion you could use the ruler of the fifth house as a significator of a child or children (and indeed any relative, aquaintance, friend or enemy can be given a house ruler as their significator).

In a decumbiture chart the ruler of the first house could be used as a significator of the sick person. The ruler of the sixth house could be taken as a significator for the disease or injury. I recently did a decumbiture for a person bitten by a dog. The ruler of the sixth was the Sun, which I thought was rather a poor significator of a dog bite. However further investigation revealled that the hospital doctors were concerned about infection that could lead to a stroke (the person concerned had had a previous stroke) - according to the 17th Century Astrologer/physician, Richard Saunders, the Sun is the ruler of the physical brain - an excellent significator for a situation where a stroke was a possibility. Now in this case the patient did not have a stroke (thank God) but the Sun signified the possibility or threat.

Thanks that answered a lot of questions.

A question about application....I was reading cards for a woman that has studied astrology for about 25 years, and she told me she was happy that her saturn was moving out of pisces in the fifth house on july 16. The reason being was because relationship trouble would end for a starter.

My question was not about the interpretation, but the physical movement of the natal chart. How does she see this? I've heard each degree is about one years movement (?) so do you count degrees on your own natal chart? Would this mean she was looking at her natal chart and saturn would move counter clockwise into the sixth house but staying in pisces? I was just unsure what moved and what stayed and what was being looked at.

I hope thats not confusing!